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ASND vs. RPRX: Ascendis Pharma vs. Royalty Pharma Stock Comparison

How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while RPRX is classified in Pharmaceuticals.

Company profile comparison for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
Profile ItemASNDRPRX
NameAscendis Pharma A/SRoyalty Pharma plc Class A Ordinary Shares
Country/RegionDenmarkUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life SciencesPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS IndustryBiotechnologyPharmaceuticals
GICS Sub-IndustryBiotechnologyPharmaceuticals
Market Capitalization16.90 billion USD38.70 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNasdaq
Listing DateJanuary 28, 2015June 16, 2020
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ASND
RPRX
GSPC
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
Total Return (1Y)29.46%81.08%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)40.62%39.21%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)10.03%14.22%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ASND
RPRX
GSPC
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.62%22.05%
Beta (5Y)0.380.36
Max Drawdown (5Y)-55.93%-41.98%
Avg. Volume (3M)698.39K3.10M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ASND and RPRX are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.653.48
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.995.72

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 118.78% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 12.09% also sits in the top quartile.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

118.78%

ASND
118.78%
Max
109.18%
Q3
6.23%
Median
-26.66%
Q1
-64.05%
Min
-167.77%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

12.09%

Max
109.18%
RPRX
12.09%
Q3
6.23%
Median
-26.66%
Q1
-64.05%
Min
-167.77%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 25.70% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

70.85%

ASND
70.85%
Max
18.05%
Q3
4.78%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-4.14%
Min
-17.05%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

25.70%

RPRX
25.70%
Max
18.05%
Q3
4.78%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-4.14%
Min
-17.05%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 81.32% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

64.98%

Max
83.12%
ASND
64.98%
Q3
14.77%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-78.82%
Min
-207.40%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

81.32%

Max
83.12%
RPRX
81.32%
Q3
14.77%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-78.82%
Min
-207.40%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
ROE (TTM)118.78%12.09%
ROA (TTM)9.58%5.43%
Net Margin (TTM)70.85%25.70%
Operating Margin (TTM)64.98%81.32%
Gross Margin (TTM)91.30%99.79%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 5.06% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.

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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Royalty Pharma (RPRX) reports EPS growth of 23.09%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
Revenue Growth (YoY)98.03%5.06%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)141.43%2.06%
EPS Growth (YoY)--23.09%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--161.10%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 1.29 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for RPRX.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.99

Max
25.13
Q3
12.13
Median
5.52
ASND
2.99
Q1
2.47
Min
0.10

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.29

Max
25.13
Q3
12.13
Median
5.52
Q1
2.47
RPRX
1.29
Min
0.10
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 0.88 uses more debt funding than most peers.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.31

Max
1.42
Q3
0.65
ASND
0.31
Median
0.15
Q1
0.02
Min
0.00

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.88

Max
1.42
RPRX
0.88
Q3
0.65
Median
0.15
Q1
0.02
Min
0.00
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.991.29
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.310.88
Net Debt / EBITDA-1.374.76

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Royalty Pharma (RPRX) reports a yield of 1.37%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ASND
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.37%

RPRX
1.37%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Royalty Pharma (RPRX) reports a payout of 60.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

ASND
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

60.46%

RPRX
60.46%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%1.37%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%60.46%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 43.99 sits in the richer quartile — RPRX needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

19.68

Max
85.34
Q3
43.46
Median
26.69
ASND
19.68
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

43.99

Max
85.34
RPRX
43.99
Q3
43.46
Median
26.69
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 14.79 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

16.14

Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
ASND
16.14
Median
7.30
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

14.79

Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
RPRX
14.79
Median
7.30
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Royalty Pharma (RPRX) at 4.39 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 10.45 carries an above-peer premium to book — ASND is pricier on assets.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

10.45

Max
13.53
ASND
10.45
Q3
6.54
Median
3.25
Q1
1.69
Min
-5.59

RPRX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.39

Max
13.53
Q3
6.54
RPRX
4.39
Median
3.25
Q1
1.69
Min
-5.59
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Royalty Pharma (RPRX): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX)
MetricASNDRPRX
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.6843.99
P/S Ratio (TTM)16.1414.79
P/B Ratio (MRQ)10.454.39
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)0.08%-1.16%